1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to message panels placed on motor vehicle exteriors such as signs, magnets, or stickers, and more particularly, to message panels that interact or interrelate with license plates on motor vehicles.
2. Related Art
Bumper stickers and magnets, as well as other types of signs on motor vehicles that are secured to an exterior of a motor vehicle, have long been popular devices for conveying messages and advertisements to pedestrians and other drivers. Most commonly, signs are applied directly to bumpers with some form of adhesive, but a typical bumper sticker may be very difficult to remove and may cause damage to the surface of the bumper. Therefore, much of the prior art is dedicated to making removal or replacement of bumper stickers an easier endeavor.
For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,622,389 to Courtney claims a method of attaching bumper stickers to a mounting sheet that is then attached to a bumper using Velcro strips. This method allows for easy mounting and changing of bumper stickers causing minimal damage to the bumper. Likewise, U.S. Pat. No. 5,266,144 to Gaeto, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 4,955,153 to Albrecht and U.S. Pat. No. 4,756,106 to Foster involve transparent plastic sleeves or open-faced sheaths that may be attached to a bumper for holding signs and messages. The signs or messages may be removed and replaced quickly with no damage to the under lying bumper.
In addition, some of the prior art is dedicated to making bumper signs and messages more visible to fellow motorists and pedestrians. U.S. Pat. No. 6,381,886 to Chou involves a sign or flag mounted directly to a license plate that extends outward from the body of the motor vehicle. This invention allows for increased viewing as well as easy interchangeability of signs and flags. U.S. Pat. No. 5,878,516 to Amiriani provides a means for attaching a message above a license plate by way of a frame for holding a sign attached to the vehicle by screws and brackets. Like the Chou patent, the invention allows for increased viewing and easy interchangeability. U.S. Pat. No. 4,453,328 to Connolly is another example wherein a flat surface for holding signs or messages is connected to a mounting element that extends outward from the vehicle.
The prior art also contains numerous other variations on the bumper sign theme. For instance, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,253,476 and 6,247.257 to Powell involves signs hanging below a vehicle and affixed to a hitch by brackets. U.S. Pat. No. 6,238,122 to Brooks, on the other hand, involves a method of affixing a sign to a tailpipe using a ring-shaped bracket that fits around the tailpipe. Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 5,813,154 to Wilford involves interlocking magnetic or nonmagnetic pieces with words, letters or symbols printed on them, that may be arranged on a bumper to create unique messages. The invention also alleviates the problem of hard to remove bumper stickers.
While the prior art has focused on increasing the interchangeability and visibility of bumper signs, as well as easing their removal, all patented bumper and motor vehicle signs display their messages independent of the license plate. No prior art interacts or interrelates with what is stated on the license plate, e.g. a vanity license plate, to convey a greater message to other members of the public. Therefore, there is a need for a messaging system in which one or more signs, or bumper stickers, are placed on a motor vehicle exterior such that they interact with the license plate to create a larger message.
The present invention discloses a license plate message system that fills the gap found in the prior art by incorporating message panels in the form of signs, magnets, stickers and the like to expand on the terminology present in a vehicle license plate. Both standard license plates and vanity license plates may be used with the invention. One or more message panels may be used in combination with the license plate to create a message or advertisement. The message panels may be placed on the exterior of a vehicle, such as on a bumper or tailgate, in close proximity to the license plate, such as, above, below or on either side of the license plate.